A Strange Place Other Than Earlobes

No, no... This isn’t a post about my fetish for earlobes (one of the softest and smoothest part of the body). In fact it is the title of anthology of corporeal poems by five contemporary poets that includes my good friend Binu Karunakaran. The book was formally launched on the 19th of this month at a function in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014.

Here are a few pictures that I could click of the function:

Leena Manimekalai - the Chief Guest, a few moments spent together before the function

Dr. Sreelatha - one of the five poets featured in the book, giving a brief introduction of the book

Riyas Komu - initiating the proceedings

It takes mammoth effort to unravel a book

Ra Sh & Binu seem to be wondering if they will get a chance to speak

Meditating Riyas

Star of the Biennale & a fan

His moment did come

A sign of Arrival - Amol Palekar asking you to sign his copy of your book

You don't get Amol Palekar seated next to you everyday. So, just freeze the moment

My Shield

Just a few days back I'd written something about the benefit of hindsight. But, the prominence of that phrase has started sinking in only now as it is going to be a fortnight since my dad passed away and to get over the grief and to soak up my  tears I am making futile attempts to remember the tiffs, fights, grudges etc. that I had with or against him, but somehow they do not sustain beyond a few seconds and soon they are overlapped by happy and positive memories that make the other things look frivolous.

One incident that comes to my mind happened when I went to write my Final year B. Com exam in a college as a private student (i.e. someone who studies sitting at home or attending private classes and goes to college just to write the final exams). That year the college had appointed a new person as the in-charge of Examination, who obviously wasn't familiar with my needs. So, when he saw my dad carry me inside followed by my scribe, he refused to make me sit in my usual seat in the library or any other place on the ground floor saying that the other students writing exams will get disturbed or they would write whatever I dictated to my scribe. He made dad carry me up to the second floor searching for an empty classroom. I could sense that he was panting and sweating profusely, this made me upset and I told him if they make you carry me any further I don't want to write the exam. He was in an unusually upbeat mood that day and told me just to think of the paper that I was going to write and leave the rest to him, adding that he had the strength to carry me to the terrace of the building.

Luckily things cooled down and from the next day I was provided a seat in a corner in the library.  Now, if I think about it I feel that I wouldn't have graduated if my dad had mentioned he was tired or fed up of the circus that he was made to do with me.

There are many more such incidents where dad proved to be my shield or saviour when the whole world seemed to be against me, yet he never boasted about the greatness of his action or made me feel that he had done something extraordinary for my sake.

PS: you can read more about my dad here,  here,  and see his one more picture here.

Heard at last

Read about it here.

Tanishq Mia – Nithya Menen and the paradigm shift

Last Sunday (14 July), while watching the final day of the first test match of Ashes 2013 and expecting Ashton Agar to do an encore of his first innings performance. Eventually, that did not happen. But, something else caught my attention; it was Nithya Menen, she appeared in a commercial in between the overs (I'm not an avid channel-surfer and do not really get annoyed by the 'commercial breaks'). The first time I just rubbed my eyes (figuratively) and confirmed that it was her and she was appearing in an ad for Tanishq.

The most striking thing about this campaign is the fact that it takes the notion that women should dress and look sober in the workplace to the point of being unattractive head on, it underscores the fact that if you are confident about your work it does not really matter if your glamour quotient is a notch higher. This attitudinal shift may be the result of the anger, furore and debate that ensued after the unfortunate Nirbhaya Case last year.

Here we have a young girl Megha (Nithya) immersed in her work, her boss comes to check on her and says a few appreciative words before Megha's (maybe the first) big presentation. But, as a parting shot she advises Megha to remove her hanging earrings as they would distract the clients. The boss herself has dressed simply in plain blue saree and white blouse without any adornment to speak of leave any makeup. She may have thought her protege needed some understanding in workday dress code.

The masterstroke comes when Megha utters  ‘Don’t worry. The presentation looks even better than me’ as a reply to her boss' questioning look as to why her advise went unheeded.

There is a marked improvement in the approach if we compare this ad with the series of ads that came initially targeting the working women:

This spot also does away with the usual format of man buying/gifting jewellery, as shown here:

and here:

I too am a filmmaker now

Steven Spielberg made his first film in his early teens and I touched a real camera only in my very late thirties and shot my first video just last week as I’d mentioned here. But, as they say age no bar when it is the question of passion.

Discussing the process of editing this video and adding background music with Adithya, who helped me with it was equally or more exciting than the actual shooting.

PS: The title and the first paragraph is written the tongue-in-cheek manner. I don't think I'd be any good in the next ten years.

Fruit Stalls in the Gujarati Street

Last evening my sis Smita took me for a round on my wheelchair to the vegetable/fruit market reviving the memories of our younger days when it was a  routine. Initially, I was very shy and conscious of people watching or staring at me, and, her only argument would be "if I'm not bothered why should you be?" Slowly I started enjoying such outings.

As I look back I feel that I've changed a lot since those days, now I'm least bothered about the stares and would even smile at someone who persistently looks at me. Yesterday was fun as hardly anybody realised that I'd a camera with me and that I was taking pictures or video (the video has a steadicam feel to it).

I've got a video recording of around four minutes, will try to upload it after some editing adding background score.

Evening Walk with Mr. Prabhu

This is Mr. Prabhu, my nonagenarian neighbour who walks for 45 minutes to 1 hour daily evening. Everyday I hear the sound of his slippers while catching the news of the day on TV. Yesterday, after returning from work, I waited for him with my camera and tripod ready to click a few pictures of his. He asked me what was I doing outside and happily posed for me when I told him I was taking pictures.

This is Srikanth from the next lane who gave Mr. Prabhu company for few minute. I felt he was unexpected bonus for me.

I was humming the Alive is Awesome jingle of the Cinthol product range and felt that these two persons somehow gave real meaning to those words.

Click for a click will make the world go...

Chandrakanth clicked me

I reciprocated

He wanted my happy face but it became horror

Surprisingly he isn't scared

Pappa trying to click us together

& does a good job, even though I blink 

I'd first read about Chandrakanth here. Then after a few days saw him on TV; immediately I searched for him on FB & requested him to make a tripod that could be fitted on my wheelchair. He obliged & here I am.

Man in a Jovial Mood

My photography is bound to be in Top Gear (quality-wise) from now on,  because of my new friend (brother) Chandrakanth Madhavan has gifted me a tripod that is fitted on my wheelchair.

Quality Time Spent with my Screen Pappa (Lal)

I'd gone to meet Lal for a chat after his performance in Ozhimuri got Special Mention from the Jury in the recently announced National Film Awards (2013).

I'll attach the interview here once it is up tomorrow.

Amidst White Violins

Last Sunday (17th, the last day of the Biennale) covered two more venues, Moidu's Heritage Plaza and the Pepper House. The former of which was nightmarishly inaccessible even on the ground floor with obstacles (the structure itself is on the verge of collapse) every few steps. Pepper House was a bit easier and this time Sendhil took the initiative to carry me to the first floor.

with Raju

with Sendhil

I could do it!

Yes, I could it... The feeling was special, so, the thought came to my mind why not put it on a paper and see how it shapes up. This may have been the first time in 14-15 years I was trying to write something in the real sense using paper and a pen (though I've written a couple of letters & a few birthday message in between).

It took me 10-15 minutes to pour the whole thing out and make the corrections. The result was exciting as you can see.

PS: I've already posted the readable version here.

PPS: This picture is taken by Ma.

Imperfection And Inaction

I hardly strive for perfection or do my best, I’ll do better next time is my mantra (as there is a sense of dissatisfaction gnawing somewhere deep within and never a fulfilment). It is the mental thing, I just can't discount my limitations when I imagine myself doing something, it is only when the actual work starts the limitations come to the fore stifling even my thinking or the thought process and leaving me inactive. Sometimes, I stop making effort to do it again (if the degree of disappointment is very high), otherwise I just do it the way I can and leave the rest (it is very difficult for me to get out of the 'self-pity' zone if I enter one and I harass a couple of dear ones, so I've to be careful I don't slip into it).

Basically I feel I've turned out to be a happy person. I don't feel I require any special conditioning to remain like that (some weird chemical composition in the brain maybe).

Once in a while I do get lucky and achieve near perfection as in the snap below:

I clicked it sitting in an auto-rickshaw in a traffic jam. Since then I have tried hard to capture fancy number plates (to make a series). But, has never come this close.

Second visit to the Biennale

At the Aspinwall House.

In front of the work of Vivek Vilasini.

With Sendhil

With Raju

Sendhil with a headless Raju

Discussing about how to be in my frame with their heads intact

All Smiles

At Ease (before Raju got punctured carrying me to the first floor a few times)

The Unholy Trinity

Details of the First Visit to the Biennale are here.

Bangalored - II

Deep in Conversation

My Sis-in-Law Kanchan

& Ma

Check Bangalored - I  here.

Bangalored - I

Manish working from home - shaken not stirred (I mean the pic)

The Couple - Kanchan & Manish

Ranveer guiding me on the ramp

Quenching the thirst

Father, Son & the laptop

Jai obediently poses for me

Not so heavy traffic in the by-lanes of Kormangala